


Inconvenience

by missblatherskite



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Isabelle Lightwood, Bisexual Lydia, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 14:16:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14239071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missblatherskite/pseuds/missblatherskite
Summary: Lydia lived her life by the law.





	Inconvenience

 

She lived her life by the law. It was hard, but it was the law. She believed in it wholeheartedly, she believed in the rules, in duty and responsibility above all else. John was her one defiance, her choice of love above all else. But now John was gone and all she had was the law and the clave.

 

When she came to the New York institute all she was thinking of was her job. All she wanted to do was follow out her orders. Then she met her. Isabelle didn’t like her—of course she didn’t. She was here to take over the institute from her family. She was hostile from the start.

 

When she announced the engagement to her brother, when she arrested her—hostile was a kind word after that.

 

She admired the girl. She was fiercely loyal to her brother and determined to do the right thing, no matter the cost. Lydia didn’t think she’d be able to do the same.

 

Surprisingly, the trial and the return of the mortal cup changed things. Her eyes had softened when they looked at her. She no longer tensed, her expression no longer nearly turning to a sneer when they were forced to be in the same room. Instead she looked at her…almost kindly. She looked at her like she was interesting. Lydia wasn’t sure what to make of that.

 

She knew what she made of Isabelle. She knew she admired her—but it was more than that. She genuinely liked her. And if she was truly being honest with herself, she more than liked her. It was inconvenient to say the least. She was engaged to her brother. She was—well, she had never been straight—but she had always been very good at pretending that she only liked men. Isabelle was making it hard. She was occupying her mind more than she should. If Isabelle ever betrayed the clave again, she knew what she would have to do, and it would be much harder.

 

Isabelle started to spend time with her—seek her out. At first she had excuses, asking her about missions or fighting techniques (that she was fully aware she didn’t need any help with). After a while she stopped with the excuses and sought her out only for her company. Slowly Lydia began to thaw, started to let Isabelle in. She didn’t mean to, didn’t want to, but the girl made it so easy to let go of the walls she had clung to after John’s death. She found a confidant in the least expected place.

 

And it wasn’t just her that shared. Isabelle did too. She told her about her interests, about her parents, about Alec. The more she heard of him the more she was convinced he would be a good partner, but the more she talked to Isabelle the more the thought of a political marriage began to ache.

 

It was during one such talks that Isabelle grew quiet, quiet enough that Lydia eventually noticed, looked at her in worry. Then slowly she leaned forward, closed the short distance between them and placed a quick kiss on her lips. When she drew away, her face showed nothing. She didn’t look flushed, or worried, she just stared at her until Lydia could no longer stand it and had to look away.

 

“You know where I am,” she said as she quietly left the room.

 

Once she was gone, she buried her face in her hands, let her raw emotions out. She had felt something with the kiss, more than she’d thought she would when she’d allowed herself to imagine it. It didn’t feel like a crush, or lust. It felt like love.

 

So she went to her door at midnight. And Isabelle let her in, closed the door quietly, guided her back against it. They only stared at each other, both waiting for the other to lean in. Finally, it was Isabelle that closed the distance, Isabelle that kissed her so sweetly her knees felt week. They seemed to kiss for ages before beginning to move towards the bed, shedding clothes as they went.

 

She’d never slept with a woman before, but she didn’t let her feel awkward. She was kind and patient and guiding. It didn’t feel like it had with John—nothing would. It felt like something else, a different sort of special. She didn’t know how long it lasted, only that she wished it was longer, that it could go on forever. And the way Isabelle smiled at her she knew she was thinking the same thing.

 

But she was getting married. So she slipped out of bed the moment she knew Isabelle was sound asleep. She turned away from the beautiful sight of her sleeping, got dressed, and let herself quietly out the door. She knew she would cry for it later. It seemed both she and Alec would be giving up their chance at happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is always welcome. 
> 
> Comments warm my little goblin heart.


End file.
